Bangena egumbini elimnyama lapha emjondolo kaZip. UZip udonsa intambo kagesi axhume ilambu. “Angazi ukuthi ngikukhombhiselani lento engikukhombisa yona,” kusho uZip njengoba kugcwala ukukhanya kuleli gumbi. “Kodwa inja yami iyakuthanda, nenyoni yami iyakuthanda. Kusho ukuthi uthembhekile.”
UThando umangazwa ilokhu okuvela odongeni kuleli gumbi, i-chart eligcwele udonga lonke. Leli-chart linezithombe zezigebengu zalapha elokishini, nohlobo lobugebengu ezibenzayo ngaphansi kwezithombe. Ezinye zezithombe zidwetshwe umugqa phezu kwazo kwabhalwa ukuthi ‘SOLVED’. Konke lokhu kumiswe kwaba i-pyramid. Esicongweni kule-pyramid kukhona isithombe sikaSpokes. Ngaphezulu kwesithombe sikaSpokes kune question mark.
UThando ubukisisa leli-chart abone ubuso abujwayele ngaphansi kwesithombe sikaSpokes. Uyasondela abukisise, ngisho kuthiwa abantu bayafana isithombe sika Brice lesi asibonayo.
UThando ukhomba isithombe sikaBrice. “Ngiyamazi uBrice,” kusho uThando.
“Kumele aboshwe ngokushesha lowo ngoba udayisa izidakamizwa,” kusho uZip. “Kuyaphela ubugebengu uma zingekho izidakamizwa elokishini. Ngakubona lokhu ngesikhathi ngibophisa uKhaya ezinyangeni ezidlule. Kwathula kwathi cwaka lapha elokishini.”
UThando ubuka uZip ngokumangala. “Uwena owabophisa uBig Dog Khaya?”
“Iwona umsebenzi wami engiwenzayo emini lona, Thando,” kusho uZip emamatheka.
UThando ubuka i-chart, aphenduke abuke uZip. “Wenza kanjani? Nami ngifuna ukusebenza nawe.”
“Ngilalela abantu abadakiwe bekhuluma e-tarvern, ngibalandele, ngithathe izithombe. Ungamangala ukuthi bakhuluma kangakanani abantu uma sebedakiwe. Bawakhipha wonke amaqiniso. Nginomngani oyiphoyisa eliqotho. Uyiphoyisa langempela, akafani noCaptain Qinela. Uyawenzisisa umsebenzi losisi engisebenzisana naye. Uhlala la elokishini kodwa usebenzela eMowbray Police Station.”
Inhliziyo kaThando igaya izibozi njengoba ebuka isithombe sika Spokes. “Ngicela ukusebenza nawe, Azipho. Ngicela ungisize ngithole umbulali kadadewethu.”
“Uma uzimisele ngempela ukusebenza nami asihlangane la kusasa ngaso lesikhathi.” UZip ukhipha ummese wakhe owuhlobo lwe-zip, awukhombhe kuThando athi, “uke uthi nkente komunye umuntu ngalento oyibone la, ngizokubheka ngikuthole ngikugwaze.”
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UBrice akabutholi ubuthongo emuva kokuvuma ukuthi uzoyishisa lento ayinikwe uTrevor. Akuvumi ayishise lento egoqwe ngo-plastic. Kuphela izinsuku ezintathu bungafiki ubuthongo.
Uphupha amaphupho asabisayo ebhekile. Wonke lama phupho amayelana nalento egoqwe ngo-plastic. Kwelinye iphupho ubona le-plastic imujaha. Kwelinye le-plastic idubula izinaliti eziningi zidlule kumatilasi zimgwaze uBrice. Kwelinye iphupho okuphakathi kule-plastic kuvela kuyincwadi egxiza igazi.
Ugcina esekhathele ukungalali ayivule le-plastic. Uyabona ukuthi incwadi thizeni le egoqwe ngephepha eli-brown. Alidabule leli phepha. Abone ukuthi i-diary.
Ungafunga ukuthi iyashisa le-diary ngendlela ayidedela ngayo emuva kokufunda igama lomnikazi wayo. Ibhalwe ngokucacile ukuthi ekaZikhona Gudluza. Lonke ilokishi liyazi ukuthi uZikhona Gudluza intombazane etholakale ibulewe idlwenguliwe eMonwabisi Beach.
Uphuma endlini ngejubane uBrice. Esangweni ufica omunye wabathengi bezidakamizwa azidayisayo emlindile. UBrice utshela le nsizwa ukuthi azikho namhlanje izidakamizwa. Babhema ugwayi, baxoxe.
“Iyadabukisa le ndaba yale ntombazane etholakale eMonwabisi Beach? Isono lesi esenzekile. Ngidabukela uBookworm njengoba engahluphi muntu nje,” kusho le nsizwa.
Adideke uBrice. “Singenaphi leso sidunyelwa esingu-Bookworm kuyo yonke lento?” kubuza uBrice.
“Hhayi bo Brice awazi ukuthi uBookworm umfowabo omncane waleya ntombazane ebulewe?”
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Sitshele: Ngabe uBrice uvalelekile ebugebengwini manje? Angaphuma kanjani?